Flooding Outlook: Wednesday 22 March 2023
Date published: 22 March 2023
“The risk of flooding for coastal areas in Scotland is expected to continue over the coming days due to large waves and strong winds, combined with storm surge and high spring tides. More than 40 Regional Flood Alerts and Local Flood Warnings are in place.
“Impacts have already been noted in north west areas on Wednesday morning, with flooding of causeways and roads. Further impacts are possible for the remainder of the week but are expected to be localised and minor around high tide times.
“We will work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7 and update them if need be. People living and working in affected areas are advised to take care if travelling, follow the advice of the emergency services, and consider any steps they need to take now to be prepared and to stay safe.
“We would also encourage people to sign up to the Floodline service to receive free updates for where they live, or where they’re travelling through, directly to their phone. People can also check flood updates for all the latest updates and have a look at the three day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what’s expected further ahead.”
Vincent Fitzsimons, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said.
Staying informed
- Check the latest information on SEPA's regional flood alerts and local flood warnings.
- Check the latest advice on what to do to prepare for flooding
- Register for SEPA’s free Floodline message service online by calling 0345 988 1188
- Check the three day Scottish Flood Forecast
Be prepared and stay safe
- Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
- Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
- If you’re walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and small watercourses.
- Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.
What’s the difference between a flood alert and a flood warning?
We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.
- Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
- Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.